Define Manufacturing Operations (Define MES/MOM System)

Manufacturing operations encompass numerous plant-level activities involving equipment (definition, usage, scheduling, and maintenance), materials (identification, properties, location, and status), people (qualification, availability, and scheduling), and the relationships between these resources and the information that contains them. Interactions among numerous systems of fragments. In order to define the boundaries of MES/MOM systems and interactions with users and other systems, and to coordinate this combination of functions to maximize the use of commercial MES/MOM software products, a manufacturing reference framework is needed. The MOM Manufacturing Operations Standard promotes the design philosophy of MES/MOM.

Manufacturing Operations Standard - ANSI/ISA-95

There are many data models available to guide the development of manufacturing and supply management systems. One of the popular reference models for manufacturing systems is the International Society of Automation (ISA) five-part standard called ANSI/ISA-95 Enterprise-Control Systems Integration. This article uses the models and terminology from the standard to define the user and functional requirements for a manufacturing execution system solution. The ISA-95 standard defines a layered system model that includes domain levels within an enterprise to support and execute manufacturing operations management. Level 4 functions (task and communication) encompass the business planning and logistics levels and support supply chain management at the higher domain levels (level 5 and above) of the Purdue enterprise model. Layer 3 capabilities define Manufacturing Operations Management as the domain of commercial MES tools.

As currently structured, ANSI/ISA-95 consists of the following parts, under the general title Enterprise-Control Systems Integration.

• ANSI/ISA-95.00.01-2010 - Part 1: Models and Terminology
• ANSI/ISA-95.00.02-2010 - Part 2: Object Model Properties
• ANSI/ISA-95.00.03-2012 - Part 3: Activity Model for Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM)
• Draft ISA-95.00.04 - Part 4: Object Model Attributes for MOM Integration
• ANSI/ISA-95.00.05.-2012 - Part 5: Business and Manufacturing Interactions

The defined MES/MOM domain includes only production, quality, maintenance, and inventory operations management functions, tasks within functions, and communication between tasks and sequences of operations within operations. The following are the components of the MES/MOM activity to identify Part 3 of the ISA-95 model:

• Production Operations Management: The management activities of the third layer of the manufacturing plant, coordinate, direct, manage and track every operation that consumes raw materials, energy, equipment, personnel and information to produce products that meet cost, quality, quantity, safety and timeliness requirements. The function of MES mainly comes from this activity model, and secondarily from the auxiliary activity model below.
• Maintenance Operations Management: Management activities coordinate, direct, and track the function of maintaining equipment, tools, and related assets to ensure they are available for production operations. This includes activities and operations for conversion, setup and CIP.
• Quality Operations Management: The function of managing activities to coordinate, direct and track the measurement and reporting of quality testing activities in support of manufacturing operations. The broad scope of quality operations management includes quality operations and the management of these operations to ensure the quality of intermediate and final products.
• Inventory Operations Management: These activities coordinate, direct, and track the function of transferring materials between and within work centers and manage information about the location and status of materials to support production operations.

For a more detailed explanation of the above model or the ISA-95 standard, please refer to ANSI/ISA-95.00.03-2011 - Enterprise Control Systems Integration Part 3: Activity Model for Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM).

MES/MOM User and Functional Requirements Model

Using a standards-driven manufacturing information model, it is possible to specify the form of an MES solution required for a specific real-time work process on the shop floor. This information model provides a framework for use with User Requirements Specifications (URS) and high-level Functional Requirements Specifications (FRS). These guidelines help companies select a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) MES product that offers the highest level of configurability to meet specific needs in the manufacturing domain. This design approach ensures that MES projects provide shop floor management with current and accurate MOM visibility to allow execution of real-time workflows without loss due to non-value-added data exchange or execution of tasks.

Figure 3-5: ISA-95 Manufacturing Operations Management Model

In manufacturing, many automated information systems are deployed at the enterprise and field installation levels, providing applications for scheduling/planning, execution, management and analysis to support operational workflows. These applications maintain financial and asset management and regulatory data requirements related to production. The initial use of the models in ISA-95 Parts 1 and 2 defined the current performance of each manufacturing operation activity and function in Part 3; Figure 3-5 was used as the basis for ISA-95 to define the definition, A logical location for the functions and exchanges required to execute and support real-time workflows on the shop floor to fulfill production orders and manage the enterprise's resources.

MOM activities identify functions, tasks, and data exchanges that are fully layer 4 or layer 3 implementations. Depending on the form of the manufacturing environment, these tasks are typically assigned to Tier 4 systems or Tier 3 systems. The user and functional requirements of a particular plant determine which system and architecture can support real-time workflow requirements for transaction rates, parametric data loading, exchange times, and degree of change management for continuous improvement.

After agreeing on the established boundary requirements, the next step is to conduct a detailed shop floor functional requirements gathering session across the manufacturing domain to establish a baseline MES functional requirements matrix. The primary source of structure and organization for these logical grouping requirements is to follow established guidelines such as ANSI/ISA-95.00.03-2012 - Enterprise Control Systems Integration Part 3: Activity Model for MOM to define functional boundaries. Within each plant area, production line, and operation, specific details emerged regarding current and expected operating conditions.

The Part 3 task list for each activity model is 60% of the user's system requirements for any given manufacturing situation. The definitions in Section 3 provide a good framework for discovering the other 40% of user system requirements. As shown in Figure 3-6, according to the standard manufacturing operation activity model and guidelines in Part III (Figure 3-6, dashed line "A"), an overall picture is drawn for a specific operation or production line, and each MES Boundary of the /MOM system (dashed line "B"). This example highlights the deviation from the normalized functional boundaries in the Part 3 standard. This model provides:

1. Establish a framework for URS project boundaries.
2. The database class structure and operation type framework of the FRS system.
3. Implementation and interface boundaries of the MES system.
4. Benchmark for evaluating commercial software vendor offerings for each MES/MOM system.

Figure 3-6: Example ISA-95 Part 3 Production Operations Management Activity Model

The result is a user-driven URS and a high-level FRS that complies with specific, well-defined industry guidelines. This approach establishes a common language for clear communication with external suppliers and system integrators as well as internal departments (manufacturing, engineering, IT, finance).

After determining the overall URS and high-level functional requirements, the project proceeds in the following steps:

• Complete a business case analysis
• Prepare MES/MOM product requirements
• Complete market research to determine the availability of suitable MES products
• Develop a purchasing strategy
• Develop detailed functional requirements specifications (database structure, transactions, production rules, sequence/workflow logic, transitions between operating modes, and user interface requirements).

shop floor operation view

Across the production operations domain, (layer 3 in the ISA-95 functional model) there is a desire for an enterprise software solution to replace mainstream paper-based processes and disparate applications. Operations management knows that such a solution will improve productivity through workflow control and integration of engineering, management and the shop floor.

Figure 3-7 shows the interaction between the engineering function of the product lifecycle management system, the enterprise management function of the enterprise resource planning system, and the shop floor operation management function of the MES/MOM system.

Figure 3-7: Advanced Manufacturing Operations System Concept

As shown in Figure 3-7, each enterprise system maintains an important database containing role-specific data, workflows, and step work instructions, with data in one system overlapping and intersecting with other systems.

Manufacturing Operations Master Data Management (mMDM) provides the coordination, sharing and synchronization of these data overlaps and retains/enforces ownership of master data. mMDM is a key component in integrating these systems.

MES/MOM systems create a paperless shop floor by bringing actionable real-time information into the traditional paper-based shop floor environment. The paperless shop floor enables critical information to flow throughout the organization, supporting the adjustment of time-sensitive workflows, including critical workflows in forgotten areas of manufacturing.

Having consolidated, time-sensitive information on events and tasks enables planners/production controllers to identify and prevent potential problems or bottlenecks. Incident management provides real-time notification, often before incidents and exceptions occur. This notification triggers proactive workflows and steps to manage these incidents and reduce their negative impact and cost. Ultimately, MES/MOM helps businesses control costs and keep production and shipments on schedule.

With an MES/MOM system in place, there is the ability to capture and report labor against work orders down to the minute and task, track each employee's credentials and skill sets, request materials, manage work orders, and create non-procedural work. In many workflows, MES saves important steps traditionally associated with verification work, non-value-added paper handling and rework. MES/MOM provides proactive visibility into disruptions in the manufacturing process and communicates work orders in real time through a variety of technologies including wireless and touchscreen devices. This approach replaces error-prone, paper-based communication with a streamlined, paperless workshop environment. This real-time control enables shop floor operations to streamline production and ensure production meets stringent customer demands. MES/MOM's Electronic Work Instructions (EWI) provide context for real-time data collection and embed data collection points to verify completion of all work steps, including quality inspections.

MES ensures that technicians and mechanics always have the instructions needed to manufacture products and troubleshoot equipment, and ensures that the correct data is collected to meet corporate data requirements. By simplifying data collection and execution by shop floor technicians and machinists, MES also creates efficient processes that consist only of value-added activities. The result is a leaner work environment. From a material handler's mobile computer to a strategically placed operator station on the shop floor, an MES guides knowledge workers in performing tasks and gathers information instantly through an intuitive graphical user interface. Additionally, scripted work instructions and presentation of reference data drastically reduce new hire training time, while event-driven notifications and workflows use electronic communication to accelerate cross-training of existing workforces.

The seamless collection of data from shop floor activities is stored in a coordinated relational database to compile product genealogy and generate end project data reports. The genealogy and analytics data captured allows for historical queries, near real-time root cause analysis and comparisons between work orders, which is invaluable for quality-related investigations and process improvement initiatives.

Leveraging the same interactive data format and industry standards such as OAGIS (Open Application Group Integration Specification) or ISA-95 in a service-oriented architecture (SOA) further reduces the cost of integrating MES/MOM with other applications. SOA's approach to application integration reduces costs to less than half of today's typical point-to-point integration practices, while delivering projects in a fraction of the time.

"Current Status" Operational Activity Model on the Shop Floor

The implementation baseline of MES/MOM begins with a thorough analysis of existing processes within the manufacturing domain. Commercial and home-grown MES applications are first applied at the departmental or production line level to meet the needs of a specific shop floor, increasing productivity through better use of local information. However, these first generation applications were designed for primarily "make-to-stock", "low SKU quantity" manufacturing that has supported improved living standards over the past 100 years. Many of these manufacturers rely entirely on paper processes and a few independent local systems to control shop floor workflow; most systems in use today are unique installations. However, with the development of global manufacturing and the extension of supply chains, 21st century manufacturing plants now have larger make-to-order and configure-to-order (CTO) product portfolios and greater SKU counts. Most notably, the packaging line configuration has been expanded to meet language and culturally related customer requirements. Figure 3-8 represents a MOM system deployed in a typical modern factory with common workflows across areas, production lines, and operations.

Prior to the deployment of advanced MES, in the original deployment of factory automation information systems (AIS), each system met the direct manufacturing needs of the current capacity and order mix in the manufacturing field, with a single function application. Figure 3-11 identifies the various applications and their relationship to the ISA-95 Part 3 activity model by grayscale coding; in this case, eight different applications are involved in order execution. These departmental-based applications have many overlapping data stores and manual paper-based processes for gaps in the transactional exchange and data sharing required to support workflow. In addition, new process technologies and the complexity of continuous improvement projects proliferate on-premises MOM solutions whose disparate data stores are outside the IT department's focus. Attempts to address the shortcomings of data sharing have resulted in peer-to-peer data connections. Point-to-point connections (while providing some relief) proved to be very expensive to implement, and difficult and expensive to maintain as the number of connections increased and aging systems were replaced.

Figure 3-8: ISA-95 Part 3 "Current Status" Functional Assessment of Order Fulfillment Shop Floor Systems

The "as is" model (Figure 3-8) shows the reliance of the production work process on paper to fill the information gaps on the shop floor. The problem of disconnected information exchange is especially acute in "manufacturing" level 2 (process control) and level 3 (MOM) activities. Real-time Tier 2 and Tier 3 information is critical to the status of work in process, exceptions, and non-procedural (alternate routing and rework) work that is manually processed by planning and scheduling groups after the crisis has expanded transaction received. Production records become many scans from different sources, with different definitions of production and different data integrity. Figure 3-9 provides the customer with an illustration of a specific workflow for the current shop floor situation; this type of illustration is a teaching tool for the benefits gained after the implementation of the MES project.

Paper-based workflows are easy to implement, easy to use, and require little training. However, paper is a huge inhibitor of efficiency in the management of production operations. Paper documents are shuttled through the production process and then filed into filing cabinets. Businesses lose valuable visibility into shop floor activity. Paper also defines functional inputs and outputs in different working languages, creating barriers to teamwork and continuous improvement.

Figure 3-9: “As is” assessment of production operations executive functions

Workshop "future" operation activity model

Before starting to design the MES/MOM system architecture, MES/MOM URS conducts detailed planning of short-term and long-term business goals and operational workflows, identifying the required future state model. A good MES/MOM URS provides a modular solution designed to execute, collect data, and provide visibility into time-sensitive workflows for shop floor activities. The resulting system must provide shop floor supervisors, plant managers, and upper management with the information to execute operating instructions, measure real-time performance, analyze operations, and identify opportunities for improvement. The MES/MOM system architecture must integrate scattered workshop applications to unify the functions of the original system and greatly reduce cross-application integration. Functional integration between MES/MOM platform and enterprise systems provides two-way synchronization of master data and real-time exchange of operational data to business and supply chain flows

After eliminating disparate workflows such as those shown in Figure 3-9, a "future" assessment model (Figure 3-10) can be developed in which the MOM system provides a unified shop floor environment that replaces the Shop floor applications and paper transactions that were previously disconnected. Future "systems on the shop floor" will optimize the environment to display all data exchanges in electronic format, enabling easy transactions between Tier 3 MOM systems and Tier 4 enterprise systems. Figure 3-10 shows a dramatic change from the "as is" model after MES/MOM deployment, where only two applications replace the eight applications depicted in Figure 3-8. The Quality Operations function is one of the major changes to the "future" model in Figure 3-10.

Figure 3-10: ISA-95 Part 3 "Future" Shop Floor System Order Fulfillment Functional Assessment

The "future" model shows the elimination of disconnected data exchanges in "manufacturing" activities where real-time information is essential for an orderly workflow. Execution of production operations is fully electronic with real-time shop floor data on the status of WIP, exceptions and non-procedural work for scheduling and rescheduling updates by planning and scheduling groups. Production record packages are now electronic for root cause analysis, actionable metrics and alerts, and accurate reporting.

The MES/MOM system stores all history of each production order (intermediate and finished product) and applied resources, including work order versions, key tolerance data versions, buyout signatures, variances, rework and operator certifications. The complete product and operational genealogy is presented in relevant electronic form for interaction between MOM, PLM and ERP systems. Data collected during production and support operations is stored in a relational database from which numerous reports and transactions are created to meet the needs of the internal enterprise as well as external systems designated as systems of record.

workshop system

No model is complete without considering people and their changing roles in operating paradigms from "as is" to "to be". Descriptions of changes in operational roles and responsibilities indicate the extent of interaction between departments and systems. All departments now do their work in the same application. This creates culture change concerns for employees who typically perform shop floor activities (Tier 3) in legacy systems. To be successful, a change management project must be part of every systems project. Adoption of a new system is not immediate; it usually takes six to eighteen months. The MOM architecture integrates the legacy systems these employees use today with the production and support operations that are now within the MES/MOM boundary.

Managing change ensures that shop floor employees accept and embrace the cultural change brought about by the introduction and growth of an MES/MOM system. It is critical that the change management process includes identifying natural leaders in the workforce and involving them in the early stages of MES/MOM projects. Doing this cultural collaboration positions MES/MOM as a tool to augment the workforce, not a tool to monitor it. This workshop design collaboration enables the system to facilitate cross-functional training, which reduces risk at the enterprise level and creates opportunities for growth and advancement for employees.

workshop data exchange

Data exchange and integration between systems must directly support the desired future state of shop floor business and operational processes ("pending" model) and must not be a technical exercise or pilot project. The presence of data is not a sufficient reason to incorporate it into interface design; data exchange must support processes and business needs. Data management practices must be aligned with the data management master plan; no matter what name is chosen, a comprehensive data management and governance plan must be developed and executed for a MOM system deployment to be successful.

Factories and businesses must be managed to respond to changes in the market and for continuous internal improvement. The exchanged data basically falls into two categories:

1. Master Data: Relatively static data that defines product attributes and plant resources used in manufacturing operations and process control activities.
2. Operational Instance Data: Context-sensitive dynamic data generated during normal plant activities, including measurements and operations performed in the course of work.

Through a bidirectional interface, data originating from any local or enterprise system updates other systems through the interface to support business and/or operational processes in the manufacturing operations domain. Data sources do not necessarily predict systems of record. The choice of a system of record must be based on (1) the business and operational processes that the system directly supports, and (2) the frequency and type of changes in process functionality. A number of factors affect the source of instance data for submission to MES/MOM operators; for example, a major overhaul scenario requires engineering change orders to be secured and implemented on specific production routes regardless of production work orders.

ERP systems handle job costing, financials, purchasing, inventory control, production planning, and master scheduling. The MES/MOM system creates detailed work instructions for each work center in the workflow route and can handle limited capacity detailed scheduling. Both systems use the same master data (albeit for different purposes) and must coordinate to efficiently execute operational workflows.

As a system of record, PLM builds an operational definition that includes intellectual property in the domain of manufacturing operations. In designing the MOM "future" model, it is imperative to leverage the intellectual property in the current shop floor system by mapping its content to the MES/MOM system roadmap. PLM and MOM data must be synchronized for efficient and accurate scheduling and execution of production order routing. An example of shared data are routing production rules, which must be validated and optimized at the operational workflow level with the latest corresponding Engineering Change Order (ECO).

The creation of efficient and accurate interfaces between applications relies on corporate and international standards and tools from organizations such as OAGI, ISA and MESA to simplify the integration of data exchange between MES/MOM and ERP.

product data

Figure 3-11: Exchanged product master data

Product definition activities are outside the scope of MES; however, shop floor activities, production rules, production routing alternatives, and production planning activities require access to master data such as engineering drawings, parts lists, material specifications, and manufacturing and overhaul plans. As shown in Figure 3-11. The PLM system maintains product data as directed by the R&D and engineering centers. This data is available to the manufacturing operations domain as documents, CAD drawings and electronic eBOMs as well as EWI/SOPs.

Factory resources

Product data is only part of the master data required for manufacturing, setup, repair and maintenance in the manufacturing operations domain. Changes caused by daily disruptions require near-real-time calculation of schedule adjustments based on known available resources and process capabilities.

A typical discrete mix shop consists of work centers (WCs) organized to provide specific manufacturing capabilities for a given set of finished goods. Each work center has the skilled people, machinery, and tools (equipment) required to complete the specific tasks assigned to the work center for the operation of a given product. Production operations and support operations use routings to organize work flow through work centers where materials, subassemblies, and parts are passed from one dedicated work center to another until the manufacturing or overhaul process is complete. The work center and routing concepts are at the heart of Activity Basis Costing (ABC) by job, job order scheduling, and operational workflow of the plant.

operational data exchange

The planning and scheduling of production activities is a functional role of the ERP system. Effectively gathering shop floor information and communicating that information is the role of MES as part of the MOM system architecture. To coordinate complex manufacturing activities, complex coordination of real-time data from the shop floor is required.

Production and its supporting operations consist of manageable work sections designed for work centers equipped with people, machines, and tools to perform specific tasks in the organization.

The ERP system posts the work to the MES/MOM system to notify the work center of the work section. MES focuses on production operations work segments to associate work with shop orders that contain detailed work instructions that describe how the assigned work steps are performed. Enterprise Asset Management (EAM), Quality Management System (QMS) and Warehouse Management System (WMS) with MES focus on supporting operational work parts or steps of maintenance, quality and inventory operations respectively. An MES with a Finite Capacity Scheduling (FCS) system sequences support operations work segments into production operation work segments.

In the information transaction between MES/MOM system and ERP, a time-sensitive, sequenced series of real-time exchanges coordinate workshop activities. Scheduling at the ERP level is different from planning at the shop floor level and FCS based on current order status and available resources. These differences are not covered in this article.

FCS coordinates work orders for production and support operations with released work and schedules specific resources for the work orders to the MES/MOM system for execution. Shop floor personnel interact with the MES/MOM system through data terminals to access work instructions and confirm work completed. Through interaction with shop floor personnel, FCS and MES/MOM send transactions to ERP to update order progress, report hours, report materials, consumption, report any changes to production sequence, and request additional materials.

MES/MOM system transactions are event-driven, automatic, and transparent to shop floor personnel.

MOM System Architecture Interface Model

Communication between MES/MOM applications and other enterprise applications is via Manufacturing Service Bus (MSB)/Enterprise Service Bus (ESB). MSB/ESB acts as a data transfer conductor between systems, transferring coordinated data from one application to another. When data is put on the service bus, the MSB/ESB is configured to coordinate with other applications looking for that data and then forward it. (MSB/ESB technology is not discussed in this article.) MSB/ESB addresses the "how" of data transfer between Layer 2, Layer 3, and Layer 4 systems. The next step in the requirements process is to determine what data will be transferred between each application and what format that data needs to be in.

The Manufacturing Operations Integration Standard identifies the types of data required, namely material consumption, material production, labor and equipment usage. The specific transactions, data content, and the quantity and frequency of data transmission are determined during the MES/MOM project development process.

Specifically, the Open Operations and Maintenance (O&M) initiative consists of the following standards for manufacturing operations integration:

• ISA-95: Enterprise Controls Integration Part 3: Manufacturing Operations Management Activities
• OAGIS: The Open Application Group Integration Standard
• ISA-88: ​​batch processing
• ISA-99: Cybersecurity for Industrial Systems
• OPC: OLE for Process Control
• MIMOSA: Machine Information Management Open Systems Alliance
• OMAC: Organization for Machine Automation and Control

These and other manufacturing operations standards define and structure the data required to support each operational activity and its data exchange. The type and frequency of information is required by each user role in each work process and its parameter information such as compliance with security regulations and other imposed policies. Each data exchange supports each specific function and its associated tasks. Data exchange is characterized by frequency, production rules, work orders, parameters, and expected system responses that form patterns. The technical implementation of MOM data integration is best facilitated through the use of published data schemas. The standard definition and attributes of each data exchange determined by ISA-95 Part 3 MOM Activity Modeling and data exchange of all operational processes in:

• ANSI/ISA-95.00.01-2010, Enterprise Control Systems Integration - Part 1: Models and Terminology
• ANSI/ISA-95.00.02-2010, Enterprise Control System Integration - Part 2: Object Model Properties
• ANSI /ISA-95.00.05.-2012, Enterprise Control Systems Integration - Part 5: Enterprise-to-Manufacturing Transactions

summarize

In the complex world of discrete hybrid manufacturing from parts to original equipment production and the associated unpredictable activities in repair and maintenance, the application of industry standards simplifies MES/MOM requirements and design efforts by coordinating discussions among stakeholders. What started as a real world situation evolved over the years into the current chaotic system and multiple facilities and operations of formal and informal procedures and practices.

Operational models can now be constructed to design new operating environments. This article focuses on the benefits of "future" modeling to explain the integration of ERP and scheduling, MSB/ESB and MDM. From a manufacturing perspective, the benefits of ROT, such as productivity and throughput gains, are not explained here. In addition to gaining IT benefits from the "future" MOM architecture and systems transformation project roadmap, real manufacturing business value needs to be addressed.